continue to profit by this connection.

The want of our naval stores has already increased the price of
these articles to a great height, especially in Britain. Without our
lumber, it will be impossible for those haughty islanders to convey
the products of the West Indies to their own ports; for a while they
may with difficulty effect it, but, without our assistance, their
resources soon must fail. Indeed, the West India Islands appear as
the necessary appendages to this our empire. They must owe their
support to it, and ere long, I doubt not, some of them will, from
necessity, wish to enjoy the benefit of our protection.

These natural advantages will enable us to remain independent of the
world, or make it the interest of European powers to court our
alliance, and aid in protecting us against the invasion of others.
What argument, therefore, do we want to show the equity of our
conduct; or motive of interest to recommend it to our prudence?
Nature points out the path, and our enemies have obliged us to
pursue it.

If there is any man so base or so weak as to prefer a dependence on
Great Britain to the dignity and happiness of living a member of a
free and independent nation, let me tell him that necessity now
demands what the generous principle of patriotism should have
dictated.

We have no other alternative than independence, or the most
ignominious and galling servitude. The legions of our enemies
thicken on our plains; desolation and death mark their bloody
career; whilst the mangled corpses of our countrymen seem to cry out